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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Portland Winterhawks will take on the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL Championship series after the Oil Kings defeated the Calgary Hitmen tonight in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. The schedule is as follows (all times Pacific):

Game 1: Friday, May 3 at the Rose Garden, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, May 4 at the Rose Garden, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday, May 7 @ Edmonton, 6 p.m.
Game 4: Wednesday, May 8 @ Edmonton, 6 p.m.
Game 5*: Friday, May 10 at the Rose Garden, 7 p.m.
Game 6*: Sunday, May 12 at Edmonton, 3 p.m.
Game 7*: Monday, May 13 at the Rose Garden, 7 p.m.
*If necessary

Tickets for Game 1 and Game 2 are available now at winterhawks.com. The series will be a rematch of last year’s final, which Edmonton won in seven games. It’s the first rematch in the league final since the New Westminster Bruins and Saskatoon Blades met in 1975 and 1976.

Group ticket packages for the 2013 WHL Playoffs are now available. Contact the Winterhawks today at 236-HAWK or email seats@winterhawks.com for details.

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Western Hockey League Bantam Draft is slated for Thursday morning in Calgary. The Pats will be making their first selection of the Draft shortly after it gets underway at 8:30 a.m. The Blue and White hold the 2nd overall selection as a result of winning the WHL Bantam Draft Lottery earlier this year. The Bantam Draft Lottery only affects the First Round, and as such, the Pats pick with be the 6th of rounds 2-15.

With the 2nd overall pick, the Pats will make their highest selection in the Bantam Draft since 2005 when they selected Colten Teubert with the 1st selection in the draft.

Prince Albert SK- The Prince Albert Raiders announced today that they have chosen not to renew the contract of Head Coach Steve Young.

Young has served in various capacities with the Raiders, after joining the team as an Assistant Coach in 2008-2009, and took over the Head Coaching duties in October 2011.

After a strong start to the season, the Raiders had an inconsistent second half followed by a first round playoff exit to the Red Deer Rebels in four games.

“We would like to thank Steve and his family for their commitment to the Raiders organization for the last 5 years,” said Raiders General Manager Bruno Campese. “Steve is a first class individual and a true professional. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

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Just when we all thought spring was finally here... the snowfalls again. This is getting ridiculous but I guess with the NHL playoffsstarting it is hockey weather.

Had a great weekend in Regina! A big thanks to Shea Paisleyat Prairie Mobile for having my wife and I out for taste of Spring on Fridaynight. It was our first time experiencing the festivities and it was an awesometime.

Saturday was the annual Regina Red Sox Sports Dinnerfeaturing former Blue Jay Pitcher Duane Ward. What a fantastic night that was,Ward was a great guest and told some amazing stories. My favorite quote of thenight was when he talked about winning two World Series with the Jays saying, “Wewere a bunch of guys from Puerto Rico, USA and all over but at that time wewere all Canadians, we were playing not only for Toronto but for an entirecountry.” That’s a paraphrase. I thought that Scruffy and Kent Morrison did afantastic job with the Q and A on stage with Ward and from the two Red SoxDinners that ive attended since moving here, that one was the best. Nothingagainst Jesse Barfield last year but I just enjoyed the 2013 version more. Notto mention I won a couple items in the silent auction!

Sunday we held our annual Harvard Broadcasting and friendsNHL playoff draft. The Blackhawks and Penguins went early and fast. I did get JamesNeal and Brandon Sutter from the Pens but went heavy on Ducks and a few Canucksin the west. I never seem to win playoff drafts nu maybe this year is my year.Also go Leafs go...at the very least I hope they make it a good series againstthe Bruins, was hoping for the Habs in the first round though. Who do you haveto win the Stanley Cup this year?

The WHL Bantam Draft is tomorrow morning in Calgary. ThePats will pick second overall barring a trade. Here is a list of the Pats otherpicks in the draft.

2ndRound # 28

3rdRound no picks

4thRound #68, 72, 79 and 80

5thRound No picks

6thRound #113 and 116

7ThRound #138

8thRound #160

9ThRound #182

10thRound #204

Withthe quality of players available in this draft I think the Blue and White willbe bringing in some serious talent. Im rooting for my cousin Gage Ramsay to bedrafted by the Pats but if he’s not ill just be happy to see him drafted intothe league. I will have plenty ofcoverage from Calgary on draft day so stay tuned.

A big congrats to the Edmonton Oil Kings for becoming the WHL's Eastern Conference Champions winning in game 7 last night. The rematch is on for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. The Hawks are making their third straight appearance in the WHL finals and in my opinion this is their year to advance to the Memorial Cup.

Iwas thinking about ripping the Blue jays in this column but thought better ofit. Too frustrating.

I'llbe playing golf in Alberta after the draft, cannot wait to get out and swingthe sticks with brent parker, Cliff Mapes and Joel Pickering among others. Ihope the golf season comes sooner than later for everyone.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Calgary, AB -The Western Hockey League announced today that Portland Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones is the Denny’s WHL Player of the Week.

Jones tallied 4 points on two goals and two assists while posting an even +/- rating in three games over the past week as the Winterhawks posted a 2-1 record to defeat the Kamloops Blazers in the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series.

On Tuesday, April 23rd, Jones picked up an assist on his team’s only goal as the Winterhawks fell 5-1 win to the Blazers in Kamloops in Game 3 of the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series. On Wednesday, April 24th, Jones tallied a goal and an assist while earning 3rd Star honors to help the visiting Winterhawks shut out the Blazers 3-0 in Game 4 of the best-of-seven series. On Friday, April 26th, Jones scored a power play goal as the Winterhawks captured the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship with a 4-1 win over the Blazers in Portland, OR.

Jones, an 18-year-old product of Plano, Texas, is in his first season in the WHL with the Winterhawks. The 6’4”, 206-lb rearguard currently ranks third among all WHL defencemen in playoff scoring with five goals and 13 points in 15 games. Jones is the top-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft. He is also the Western Conference finalist for the 2013 WHL Rookie of the Year award after putting up 14 goals and 56 points in 61 games for the Western Conference Champion Hawks.

The WHL has also nominated Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks for the CHL Goaltender of the Week award. Carruth posted a 2-1 record with a shutout in three starts this past week to lead the Winterhawks to a 4-1 best-of-seven series victory over the Kamloops Blazers in the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series. Carruth allowed six goals on 81 shots for a 2.01 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in that span. Carruth, a product of Shorewood, MN, is a Chicago Blackhawks prospect.

Sidney Crosby has done non-contact drills at practice and
there is a chance he will join Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the team that
dominated the Eastern Conference despite missing their scoring leader the last
12 games with a broken jaw. The Penguins will be that much more of favourite if
he returns, having added character veterans Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow at
the trade deadline. They led the league with 3.38 goals per game. The Islanders
are in the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and many, including star John
Tavares, will make a post-season debut.

The teams only a two-hour drive apart meet for the first time
in the playoffs. The Senators are on a high with the recent return of star
defenceman Erik Karlsson and big rearguard Jared Cowen from long-term injuries,
not to mention ace goalie Craig Anderson. They went 6-3-0 down the stretch. The
Canadiens went into a fog after clinching a playoff spot early and only righted
themselves in their last two games. Questions persist about the readiness of
goalie Carey Price and point man Andrei Markov. But Montreal has three scoring
lines and answer Karlsson' skill with P.K. Subban's flash and dash. This should
be very close.

A clash of hot teams that both started the season in a funk.
The Capitals went 15-2-2 in their last 19 games, a span that coincided with a
scoring binge that gave Alex Ovechkin the Maurice ``Rocket'' Richard Trophy with
32 goals. The Rangers' season turned around after an April 3 deal that sent
Marian Gaborik to Columbus for Derek Brassard and two others, which gave them
scoring depth. They went 10-3-1 in April. A key is to stop the Caps' league-best
power play (26.8 per cent). Washington gives up a lot of goals, so New York's
edge in net with Henrik Lundqvist gives them a chance.

Two big,
tough teams collide in what could be a tight battle. Boston, the 2011 Stanley
Cup champs, went 2-5-2 down the stretch, including Sunday's 4-2 loss at home to
Ottawa, to surrender the Northeast Division lead to Montreal. Several top
players have been off their games. Their power play is a brutal 14.2 per cent,
28th in the NHL, but it was the same two years ago. Toronto ranked second and
Boston fourth in the league in penalty killing, however. A difference may be
goaltending, where the Leafs will be up against the one they let get away a few
years ago in Tuukka Rask against the inexperienced James Reimer. A late push got
Toronto into the post-season for the first time since 2004. It will be big first
playoff test for rising star Nazem Kadri.

The Blackhawks
started the season 21-0-3 and never let up, going 10-3-2 in April. Jonathan
Toews and Patrick Kane had 23 goals each to lead a deep group of forwards,
Duncan Keith was a workhorse on a solid defence and Corey Crawford did the job
in goal. The Wild had high hopes after signing Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to
13-year $98 million deals on July 4. Both played well and, despite the team
fading down the stretch, got them into the playoffs for the first time since
2008 in the last game of the season. There are good players but little depth in
Minnesota. The Hawks were second in goals-for (3.1 per game) and gave up the
league's least goals (2.02).

The question is whether the Ducks faded down the stretch or
were on cruise control in the final month. Production dropped for older players
like Saku Koivu, Sheldon Souray and Teemu Selanne. But they dominated most of
the campaign, with a 49-point season from Ryan Getzlaf and a rebound year from
defenceman Francois Beauchemin. The Red Wings spent the season rebuilding their
defence after Niklas Lidstrom's retirement and needed a season-ending four-game
run to make the playoffs for a 22nd straight year. Big performances from Henrik
Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk were key and will be again in the
post-season.

Pick: Detroit in seven.

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs San
Jose Sharks (6)

Season series: San Jose 3-0-0. Jan. 27, Sharks 4-1 at San
Jose; March 5, Sharks 3-2 (shootout) at Vancouver; April 1, Sharks 3-2 at San
Jose.

Getting Kevin Bieksa back from a ``body'' injury was a relief for
the Canucks, although they may be missing rearguard Chris Tanev to start the
playoffs. Vancouver wasn't quite as dominant as in recent years, but still has
the Sedin twins and the core of the 2011 Stanley Cup finalist squad. A big
question is whether Cory Schneider, who was rested with an injury this week, is
ready or if Roberto Luongo will have to step up. The veteran Sharks got a little
quicker at the trade deadline. They have the edge on special teams with both the
power play and penalty kill in the top-10, and a hot goalie in Antti Niemi. But
they still need to shake their playoff underachiever label.

Pick: Canucks
in seven.

St. Louis Blues (4) vs Los Angeles Kings (5)

Season
series: L.A. 3-0-0. Feb. 11, Kings 4-1 at St. Louis; March 5, Kings 6-4 at L.A.;
March 28, Kings 4-2 at St. Louis.

This should be the crash and bang
series between two physical teams that play solid defence. And both finished
strong L.A. at 10-4-3 and St. Louis 11-2-0. Brian Elliott has been hot in goal
in relief of the injured Jaroslav Halak. The Kings swept the Blues in last
year's conference semifinal and have won eight in a row overall against them. A
concern for the Kings has been goalie Jonathan Quick, last year's playoff hero
who was 38th in save percentage (9.02) this season. But they won the Cup as the
eighth seed last year and come back with most of the same lineup looking to be
the first repeat champion since Detroit in 1998. They have the edge in playoff
experience and scoring.

This is an article written by the Regina Pats Manager of Media and Communications Daniel Fink. The name Colton Orr doesn’t ring out as one of the franchise players for the playoff bound Toronto Maple Leafs. That tag falls to names like top scorers Nazem Kadri and Phil Kessel. That said, with the Leafs breaking out of a nine year playoff drought, Colton Orr is a large part of the shift in team identity that put the Blue and White back into the hunt for Lord Stanley’s Cup.With the 2012-13 NHL Regular Season in the books, Toronto holds the most penalty minutes in the NHL. That mark is powered by a runaway lead in the major penalty category, 46 through 48 games. The next closets teams are Philadelphia and Columbus, both standing at 35 majors through 48 contests. Breaking it down even further, three players consistently contribute to that major mark in Frazer McLaren, Mark Fraser and… Colton Orr.“We wanted to be hard to play against,” said Orr, the NHL’s penalty minutes leader. “We were doing the little things a lot more and you could tell in our game when teams come to play us it’s going to be a long night. We really make sure that we come to work.”

Sunday, April 28, 2013

SOCHI, Russia – Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team has won the gold medal at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship after a 3-2 win over the United States in Sunday’s gold medal game.

Madison Bowey of the Kelowna Rockets notched a goal in the Gold medal win while Laurent Dauphin and Frederik Gauthier also counted for the Canadian side, who claim the Gold medal in the event for the first time since 2008.

The gold medal is Canada’s third all-time at the world championship. Overall, Canada has won five medals since first taking part in 2002: three gold (2003, 2008, 2013), one silver (2005) and one bronze (2012).

Canada finished first in Group B in the preliminary round with a perfect 4-0 record, recording victories over Slovakia (4-1), Germany (3-1), Switzerland (10-1) and Sweden (6-0).

Canada’s roster was entirely made up of CHL players and includes three goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards.

For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team please visit www.hockeycanada.ca and follow along through social media at www.twitter.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hc_men and www.facebook.com/hockeycanada.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Saskatoon, SK – PGA Tour professional Graham DeLaet, a product of Weyburn,
Saskatchewan, will be in Saskatoon July 11th to help Golf
Saskatchewan raise awareness and funds to support junior golf programs
throughout the Province.

The Graham DeLaet Charity Golf Tournament
In Support Of Junior Golf in Saskatchewan is a joint initiative between Golf
Saskatchewan and Graham DeLaet, a past Golf Saskatchewan member and two-time
Amateur Men’s Provincial Champion who is currently ranked 106th in
the world. The event will take place Thursday, July 11th at
the Willows Golf & Country Club in Saskatoon.

DeLaet
will have a strong presence at the event. “I am very excited to be able to give
back to junior golf in Saskatchewan, said DeLaet. “I look at the
opportunities that were available to me growing up and I hope to see more and
more kids involved with golf in Saskatchewan.”

“Growing
our current junior golf programs and providing more opportunities for youth to
get involved with the sport is a major priority for Golf Saskatchewan,” said
Brian Lee, Executive Director. “As an association we have been proactive
in adopting and developing new junior programs for schools and golf clubs to
endorse throughout the Province. With Graham’s support, it is our goal to set
up a Graham DeLaet Junior Golf Development Fund that will benefit communities,
schools, golf clubs and impact children from all walks of life.”

“It
is important for those in the golf community in Saskatchewan to make junior
golf and development programs a major priority,” said Phil Grosse, Manager of
Sport Development and Marketing for Golf Saskatchewan. “Junior golfers are the
future and I believe we can make a significant contribution to junior golf and
the future of our sport through this exciting initiative.”

The
proceeds raised through the Graham DeLaet Charity Golf Tournament In Support of
Junior Golf will support Golf Saskatchewan initiatives and a portion of the
proceeds will assist the Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation, whom Graham
supported through fundraising events in 2011 and 2012.

About Golf Saskatchewan

Golf Saskatchewan is the governing body of amateur
golf in Saskatchewan, representing more than 14,000 members at 107 clubs across
the province. GS’s mission is to grow participation in, and passion for
the sport while upholding the integrity of the game. GS conducts programs
and services to serve golfers in Saskatchewan. Athlete and Sport
Development, CN Future Links, order of merit tours, rules of golf, amateur
status, handicapping and course rating are only some of the initiatives the
association leads for golf in Saskatchewan. In addition, GS annually
conducts Saskatchewan’s amateur championships. For information on GS,
please visit www.golfsaskatchewan.org.

About Graham DeLaet

Graham
DeLaet is a current member on the PGA Tour and is ranked 106th in
the world. He is a two-time Saskatchewan Provincial Amateur Men’s
Champion. He currently sits 60th on the FedEx Cup Standings and has
made $553,575 in the 2013 season. His best finishes in 2013 occurred two times
with T-9 Finishes at the Farmers Insurance Open and at the Honda Classic. Over
the course of his career on the PGA Tour he has made $2,583,882 in earnings. He
has been referred to as one of the best ball strikers on the PGA Tour by
several golf analysts. Graham DeLaet is currently 10th in driving
distance with an average drive of 300.1 yards. He sits 3rd in
greens hit in regulation with a 71.49 percentage and is 3rd in total
driving. For information about Graham DeLaet, please visit http://www.grahamdelaet.com/media.

About the Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation

The
Weyburn & District Hospital Foundation Inc. is a registered charity
operated by a volunteer Board of Directors. Our vision is to build a new
hospital to serve the people of Weyburn and the surrounding district. To that
end we strive to make people in our communities, governments, corporations and
service clubs aware of the desirability of building a new hospital in Weyburn,
and do all we can to raise the necessary money to construct and equip a new
hospital. For more information about the WDHF Inc. please visit http://www.wdhf.ca/

Calgary, AB - The 2013 WHL Awards Luncheon is set for next week, as the WHL prepares to salute the best of the 2012-13 regular season. The 2013 WHL Bantam draft is also scheduled for next week as the WHL Clubs select the top Bantam-aged players. Both events can be seen live via Webcast on www.whl.ca.

2013 WHL AWARDS LUNCHEON

The WHL Awards, held annually to recognize the WHL’s best performers, will be held in Calgary, AB, in the Sundance Room at the Deerfoot Inn on Wednesday, May 1st.

The list of nominees for the 2013 WHL Awards includes many worthy candidates who enjoyed memorable performances throughout the 2012-13 WHL regular season.

The WHL’s most coveted award is the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the WHL Player of the Year. This year’s finalists for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy are forward Adam Lowry of the Swift Current Broncos, representing the Eastern Conference, and forward Justin Feser of the Tri-City Americans, representing the Western Conference.

Lowry enjoyed a strong season for the Swift Current Broncos, appearing in all 72 games while scoring a team-leading 45 goals and 43 assists for 88 points to go with a +18 rating and 102 penalty minutes. Lowry’s considerable contributions to the Broncos helped the Club make the WHL playoffs for the first time since the 2009-10 season. The Husky WHL Player of the Month for December, Lowry was named to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team.

Feser, a Red Deer, AB, native, enjoyed an outstanding season for the Americans, leading them to their seventh consecutive season with 40 or more victories. In his 20-year-old campaign, Feser scored 44 goals and 62 assists for 106 points along with a +20 rating while appearing in all 72 games for the Americans. Twice named the Denny’s WHL Player of the Week, Feser was also named the Husky WHL Player of the Month for February after collecting 24 points in just 11 games.

Among other 2013 WHL Awards nominees are the two finalists for the WHL Rookie of the Year. One of 17-year-old forward Leon Draisaitl, the Eastern Conference’s finalist, and 18-year-old defenceman Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks, the Western Conference’s finalist, will go home with the Jim Piggott Memorial trophy.

The 2013 WHL Awards Luncheon will also see the presentation of the Bill Hunter Memorial trophy for the WHL Defenceman of the Year, the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial trophy for WHL Scholastic Player of the Year, the Brad Hornung trophy for WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player, the Del Wilson trophy for WHL Goaltender of the Year, the Dunc McCallum Memorial trophy for WHL Coach of the Year, the Lloyd Saunders Memorial trophy for WHL Executive of the Year, the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial trophy for WHL Humanitarian of the Year, the Allen Paradice Memorial trophy for WHL Top Official, and the award for WHL Marketing.

Over the years, the WHL has presented awards to many players who have gone on to stardom in the NHL and in international play.

The Western Hockey League will conduct its annual Bantam Draft on Thursday, May 2nd, at the Deerfoot Inn in Calgary, AB.

The WHL Bantam Draft is the first opportunity for WHL Clubs to replenish their systems with graduating Bantam-aged players. The order of selection for the first round of the draft is determined through a weighted lottery consisting of the six non-playoff teams. The draft order is based on the inverse overall standings from the regular season.

The 2013 WHL Bantam Draft will see the Vancouver Giants select first overall. The Draft begins at 8:30AM MDT.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Central Scouting released their final rankings ahead of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in June of this year. Two Regina Pats names made the list with forward Morgan Klimchuk at 25 and defenseman Kyle Burroughs at 133. Burroughs jumped 73 spots from the mid term rankings where he was at 206th. That alone speaks to the second half of the season that the Langley B.C. native had. Burroughs played as the Pats top D man for much of the season with the injuries to Colton Jobke and Luke Fenske and finished as the Pats leading scorer on the back end with 33 points. I had a chance to chat with Burroughs this afternoon and here is that interview.

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Central Scouting Service released its Final Rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft in New Jersey this morning. Two Pats players were listed in the top 150 North American Skaters with both F Morgan Klimchuk and D Kyle Burroughs getting the nod.

Klimchuk sits ranked 25th among North American Skaters on the final list. The Calgary, AB product finished the season with 36 goals and 40 assists for 76 points on the campaign. Currently, Klimchuk is suiting up for Team Canada at the World U18 Hockey Championships in Sochi, Russia where the Pats sniper has five points (2G, 3A) in four games for Canada in preliminary round action.

Burroughs was a big time mover between the mid-term and final rankings as the dependable defenceman jumped 73 spots from 206th mid-season to 133rd in the final rankings. The young defenceman had a stellar second half to the season as he anchored a Pats blue-line hobbled by injuries. The Langley, B.C. native finished the year fifth on the Pats in scoring with 33 points (5G, 28A). Burroughs tallied 26 of his 33 points in the second half of the season and featured a +3 plus/minus rating down the stretch.

The Pats Early Bird Season Ticket deadline is quickly approaching. Renew or buy your 2013-14 Season Tickets by Friday, April 26th to take advantage of special Early Bird pricing as well as have your name entered in draws for great prizes. There will be five draws for Season Ticket Holders to receive a full refund for their tickets, three draws for special Craven County Jamboree VIP packages, two draws for autographed team jerseys, one draw for a complementary foursome entry at the Regina Pats Wickenheiser Golf Classic and one draw for a party limo with ten tickets to a Pats/Warriors game in Moose Jaw. Call the Pats Office at 522-PATS for more details or visit ReginaPats.com.

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This week has sure had its share of crazy in the world of
sports. From the Boston Marathon Bombings to the Matt Cooke hate fest in Ottawa
to Duncan Keith’s off the cuff remarks to a reporter after a loss at the hands
of the Canucks. Not to mention the Leafs making the playoffs for the first time
since 2004 and the WHL and NBA Playoffs....well here she goes.

Good on out American neighbours to the south. Not only for
catching the two men responsible for the bombings but also for honoring the
people involved. The pregame ceremonies at TD gardens and Fenway Park were heart
moving to say the least. They know how to do right in the States that's for
sure. As for the bombers...well not much need be said there. I'm just glad they
are off the streets. What is this world coming to, what a terrible thing, thoughts
and prayers with the victims and the families of those affected.

A lot was made of the return of Matt Cooke to Ottawa after
what happened earlier in the season when his skate severed the Achilles tendon
of Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson. An Ottawa Sun newspaper writer went as
far as to write a column about how the Sens needed to exact some revenge on
Cooke in Mondays matchup in the capital city. What a joke, that guy needs to
quit drinking the cool aid and realize that while Cooke has a track record, it wasn’t
a malicious or intentional thing that happened. I watched the interviews with
the Sens players ahead of the game and they all said the same thing. “It’s in
the past, we aren’t worried about it, we are concerned with making the
playoffs.” Which brings me to my point, if the players aren’t concerned then
why is the writer? I don’t know about you but I’m of the opinion that there are
things that should be written and others that shouldn’t and this falls in the
latter category. Yes Cooke has a record of being a dirty player but jeeze...All
I can say is I was pretty happy when he declined to fight Chris Neil and then
set up the insurance goal which gave the Pens the 3-1 lead and they went on to
win.

On to Duncan Keith. For those that haven’t heard he made
some comments to a female reporter from the Team 1040 in Vancouver that have
caused quite a stir. He was asked about his two handed slash on Canucks forward
Daniel Sedin who was on a break away and scored just after taking the slash up
high. The reporter asked something along the lines of there should have been a
penalty. Keith shot back with a comment about how they should make her a ref,
she retorted that she couldn’t skate and Keith responded saying she could be
the first female ref and that she probably had never played but thought she
knew the game. First of all Keith was out of line with the female ref reference
but overall I don’t think his intentions were sexist. He was basically
defending himself with the old “you haven’t played the game so you don’t know.”
One thing I do know is that if its a guy asking that question this is a non
issue. What are your thoughts?

The WHL conference finals have been great to watch so far.
Well the Calgary Edmonton series anyways which is being broadcast on Shaw TV.
Game 2 was one of those games you just shake your head at. The Oil Kings had 15
powerplays in the game. The refs were a little too much of a factor and
Edmonton scored often in the 3rd en route to a win and a series tied
at 1’s headed into game 3 last night. The Calgary Hitmen scored 5 times in the 2nd last night and and went on to win 5-2 to take the 2-1 series lead. In the Western Conference the Kamloops Blazers bounced back on home ice and beat the Portland Winterhawks 5-1 in game 3. The Hawks still lead that series 2-1. Game 4 in both series will be played tonight. I'm looking forward to next week and the WHL Bantam Draft in Calgary. I will be heading down for the Awards luncheon and draft where the Pats will pick second overall. Its going to be an interesting couple of days with the possibility of a trade from the Pats and the fact that they will be picking a very good player on Thursday. Pats GM Chad Lang has called a news conference this morning to talk about the upcoming draft.The CSS Final Rankings for the 2013 Draft in New Jersey came out today. Morgan Klimchuk sits 25th among North American Skaters while Kyle Burroughs was a big mover jumping 73 spots from 206 to land at 133rd among NA skaters. A big congrats to those Pats players who were great last season.

Team Canada is tearing it up at the World U18 Hockey
Championships. The Red and White are 4 and oh through round robin, locking up
first place in Pool B and will face the fourth place team in pool A in the
quarterfinals tomorrow in Sochi. Pats forward Morgan Klimchuk has looked good
picking up 2 goals and 3 assist playing on the top line with the Kootenay Ice’s
Sam Reinhart and the OHL’s Erie Otters Connor McDavid. Good luck to the boys in
the knockout round!

Is there anything more frustrating than watching the Blue
Jays this year. They battle and stay in games but at the most critical moments
something goes wrong. Defensive errors have been their downfall early and if
they don’t get it figured out this season is going to get away from them. Has
this season lost its lustre for you or do you even care?

Looking forward to the Taste of Spring this weekend. Shea
Paisley at Prairie Mobile was kind enough to invite my wife and I for Friday
night so I will be getting my first experience at the event. As well the Regina
Red Sox annual dinner goes this weekend on Saturday. Duane Ward is in town. Get
your tickets, always a good time.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks is the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the playoff week ending April 21 with a 2-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 0.50 and save percentage of .984.

Carruth backstopped the Winterhawks to two straight wins to open the WHL’s Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Kamloops Blazers. He was named first star in both contests including Game 1 on Friday night where he made 33 saves in the 4-1 victory, and on Saturday where he made 27 saves as part of the
4-0 shutout victory. The win was the 43rd playoff victory of his career which builds on the WHL record he set last week with win number 41 in the Conference Semi-Finals against the Spokane Chiefs.

Carruth, a 21-year-old from Shorewood, MN, is playing in his fourth WHL season with the Winterhawks and claims this award for the third time this season. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect and Western Conference nominee for WHL Goaltender of the Year has a playoff record of 10-2 including three shutouts with a goals-against-average of 1.53 and save percentage of .938.

Also considered for the award this week was Philippe Cadorette of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar who won two games against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL Semi-Finals with a goals-against-average of 1.00 and save percentage of .965. In the OHL, Mathias Niederberger of the Barrie Colts went 1-1 against the Belleville Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals posting a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 1.51 and save percentage of .959.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Calgary, AB -The Western Hockey League announced today that Portland Winterhawks forward Ty Rattie is the Denny’s WHL Player of the Week.

Rattie netted 6 points on two goals and four assists while posting a +3 rating in two games over the past week as the Winterhawks skated to two over the Kamloops Blazers in the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series.

On Friday, April 19th, Rattie scored once and picked up two assists while being named the game’s 2nd Star as the Winterhawks skated to a 4-1 win over the visiting Blazers in Game 1 of the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series. On Saturday, April 20th, Rattie tallied a goal and two assists to help the Winterhawks shut out the visiting Blazers 4-0 in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series.

Rattie, a 19-year-old product of Airdrie, AB, is fourth season in the WHL with the Winterhawks. The 6’0”, 176-lb right wing leads all WHL players in post-season scoring with 13 goals and 25 points in just 12 games during the 2013 WHL playoffs. Rattie’s goal on Friday night versus Kamloops moved him into second place on the WHL’s all-time list of career playoff goals with 42. Rattie also ranks fourth on the all-time list of playoff points with 84 in 67 career post-season contests. Rattie is a St. Louis Blues prospect.

The WHL has also nominated Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks for the CHL Goaltender of the Week award. Carruth posted a 2-0 record with a shutout in two starts this past week to lead the Winterhawks to a 2-0 best-of-seven series lead over the Kamloops Blazers in the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series. Carruth allowed just one goal on 61 shots for a 0.50 goals-against average and a .984 save percentage in that span. Carruth, a product of Shorewood, MN, is a Chicago Blackhawks prospect.

The Back to Back (2011, 2012) Western Major Baseball League Champions Regina Red Sox has a long and proud tradition of baseball in Regina. Our 2013 Dinner and auction is a necessary major fundraiser for the team to ensure the teams longevity in the community.

For more information regarding tickets or sponsorship, please check our website at reginaredsox.com or call 306.545.5232.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Prince George, B.C. - Prince George Cougars General Manager Dallas Thompson has accepted the resignation of Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Personnel Wade Klippenstein effective immediately.

Klippenstein has spent the past six seasons with the Prince George Cougars both in a coaching and management capacity. He spent the past four seasons as the Cougars Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel.

The Prince George Cougars want to thank Wade for his contributions to the team, and wish him luck in his future endeavors.

CALGARY, AB -- The 2013 WHL Playoffs Conference Championship series’ open today as the quest for the Ed Chynoweth Cup and a spot in the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament in Saskatoon, SK, continues.

The Portland Winterhawks have made it three straight years in the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series, moving through the Everett Silvertips in six games and sweeping aside the Spokane Chiefs in the first two rounds of the 2013 WHL playoffs.

The Kamloops Blazers are making their first trip to the Western Conference final since 1999 after knocking off the Victoria Royals in six games in the opening round then sweeping the B.C. Division Champion Kelowna Rockets in the second round.

Can Brendan Leipsic and the Portland Winterhawks make it three straight Western Conference Championships by knocking off the Blazers for a second year in a row? Or, can Brendan Ranford’s Blazers ground the high-flying Hawks and make their return to the WHL Championship series for the first time in 14 years?

Here's a look at the first-round Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series:

The Portland Winterhawks meet the Kamloops Blazers in the post-season for the second straight year. Sven Baertschi and the Winterhawks edged Austin Madaisky and the Blazers four games to three in a thrilling seven-game series in the second round of the 2012 WHL playoffs.

The Winterhawks are in the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series for a third consecutive year, and are the two-time defending Western Conference Champions. The Hawks may have endured some hardships in their opening-round win over Everett, but they appear to have found their stride in the second-round sweep of the Chiefs. Offensively, the Winterhawks are now firing on all cylinders, having scored 18 goals in four games versus Spokane. Led by Ty Rattie’s 11 goals, Portland’s top trio of Rattie, Brendan Leipsic and Nic Petan have combined for 21 goals and 49 points in the post-season. They will be a challenge for Kamloops to handle, considering they also combined for seven goals and 18 points in four regular-season games versus the Blazers. If Rattie, Petan and Leipsic don’t do the damage, the Hawks boast the depth to find the back of the net with regularity with 11 players having put up at least eight points through the team’s first 10 games. Defensively, the Hawks gave up just three goals in four games to the Chiefs, and posted a pair of shutouts. Derrick Pouliot has been an offensive force from the blue line while Seth Jones, Troy Rutkowski and Tyler Wotherspoon have each put up two goals and eight points in 10 games. As good as they have been offensively, the Hawks’ defence corps has also helped team kill off 25 of 28 opposition power plays in the post-season. Mac Carruth added four more wins and two shutouts to his resume with their sweep of the Chiefs, and now has more career playoff wins than any other goaltender in WHL history. He posted a solid 2.01 GAA and a .922 save percentage in four games versus Kamloops this season.

The Blazers are making their first trip to the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship series since 1999 when they made it all the way to the WHL Championship series, losing to Calgary. The Blazers needed just four games to eliminate their B.C. Division rival Kelowna in the second round, taking advantage of a Rockets team that was missing several key players. However, it was their strong, relentless play and offensive fortitude more so than Kelowna’s injuries that enabled the Blazers to advance in such short order. Up front, the Blazers scored 18 goals in four games versus a stingy Rockets’ defence. Veteran star Brendan Ranford enjoyed an outstanding series versus Kelowna, putting up four goals and eight points in four games, while JC Lipon continued his torrid playoff scoring pace as well. Those two, along with Colin Smith and Kale Kessy, will need to be at their best to beat a Winterhawks team that held the Blazers to just nine goals in four regular-season meetings. Defensively, the Blazers have been adequate, so far, through the post-season, managing to outscore their opponent on most nights. They will need to improve on their 77.1% penalty killing efficiency to limit Portland’s highly dangerous power play. Cole Cheveldave has managed to make the key saves when called upon during the post-season. Cheveldave allowed 11 goals on 94 shots over three appearances versus the Winterhawks, winning just one of those three games. He will need to be at his best to give the Blazers a better chance to win the series.

Calgary, AB - The Western Hockey League today announced the WHL Western Conference finalist for the 2012-13 WHL Player of the Year. The two finalists for WHL Player of the Year are determined through voting by General Managers, coaches, broadcast and media representatives of all WHL Member Clubs. In the WHL's Western Conference, which includes the B.C. and U.S. Divisions, the Player of the Year Nominee is forward Justin Feser of the Tri-City Americans.Feser, a Red Deer, AB, native, enjoyed an outstanding season for the Americans, leading them to their seventh consecutive season with 40 or more victories. In his 20-year-old campaign, Feser scored 44 goals and 62 assists for 106 points along with a +20 rating while appearing in all 72 games for the Americans.Feser lead the Americans in scoring by a wide margin this season, netting 40 more points than the team’s second-highest scorer, and placed him fourth among all WHL players in points. His 44 goals put him seventh among all WHL players while his 62 assists also placed him seventh in that category. In addition, Feser netted 13 power play goals and four shorthanded goals, and finished tied for second among WHL players with eight game-winning goals. The 5’9”, 190-lb forward displayed great consistency during the 2012-13 season, being held off the score sheet for two or more consecutive games just five times. Twice named the Denny’s WHL Player of the Week, Feser was also named the Husky WHL Player of the Month for February after collecting 24 points in just 11 games.Feser has played five seasons in the WHL, all with the Americans, recording 155 goals and 198 assists for 353 points in 351 regular-season games. He has also proven to be the most durable player in WHL history, setting the WHL record for consecutive games played at 321. Feser was selected by the Americans in the ninth round, 194th overall, in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft.The recipients of all WHL individual awards will be announced at the 2013 WHL Awards Luncheon, which will be held in Calgary, Alberta, on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. WHL Player of the Year, Four Broncos Memorial TrophyEastern Conference – Adam Lowry (Calgary, AB), Swift Current BroncosWestern Conference – Justin Feser (Red Deer, AB), Tri-City AmericansWHL Rookie of the Year, Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy Eastern Conference – Leon Draisaitl (Cologne, Germany), Prince Albert RaidersWestern Conference – Seth Jones (Plano, TX), Portland WinterhawksWHL Goaltender of the Year, Del Wilson TrophyEastern Conference – Patrik Bartosak (Koprivnice, CZR), Red Deer RebelsWestern Conference – Mac Carruth (Shorewood, MN), Portland WinterhawksWHL Defenceman of the Year, Bill Hunter Memorial TrophyEastern Conference – Morgan Rielly (Vancouver, BC), Moose Jaw WarriorsWestern Conference – Brenden Kichton (Spruce Grove, AB), Spokane ChiefsWHL Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year, Brad Hornung Trophy Eastern Conference – Dylan Wruck (Saskatoon, SK), Edmonton Oil KingsWestern Conference – Zach Franko (Winnipeg, MB), Kelowna RocketsWHL Scholastic Player of the Year, Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial TrophyEastern Conference – Josh Morrissey (Calgary, AB), Prince Albert RaidersWestern Conference – Rourke Chartier (Saskatoon, SK), Kelowna RocketsWHL Coach of the Year, Dunc McCallum Memorial TrophyEastern Conference – Ryan McGill, Kootenay IceWestern Conference – Ryan Huska, Kelowna RocketsWHL Executive of the Year, Lloyd Saunders Memorial TrophyEastern Conference – Bob Green, Edmonton Oil KingsWestern Conference – Bruce Hamilton, Kelowna RocketsWHL Humanitarian of the Year, Doug Wickenheiser Memorial TrophyEastern Conference – Cody Sylvester (Vernon , BC), Calgary HitmenWestern Conference – Mitch Topping (Red Deer, AB), Tri City AmericansWHL Marketing / Business AwardEastern Conference – Saskatoon BladesWestern Conference – Kamloops BlazersWHL Regular Season Champions, Scotty Munro Memorial TrophyPortland Winterhawks: GP – 72 W – 57 L – 12 OTL – 1 SL – 2 Pts – 117WHL Top Scorer – Bob Clarke TrophyBrendan Leipsic– (Winnipeg, MB) Portland WinterhawksGP – 68 G – 49 A – 71 Pts – 120 PIM – 103Nicolas Petan – (Delta, BC) Portland WinterhawksGP – 71 G – 46 A – 74 Pts – 120 PIM – 43Calgary, AB - The Western Hockey League today announced the WHL Western Conference finalist for the 2012-13 WHL Player of the Year. The two finalists for WHL Player of the Year are determined through voting by General Managers, coaches, broadcast and media representatives of all WHL Member Clubs.

In the WHL's Western Conference, which includes the B.C. and U.S. Divisions, the Player of the Year Nominee is forward Justin Feser of the Tri-City Americans.

Feser, a Red Deer, AB, native, enjoyed an outstanding season for the Americans, leading them to their seventh consecutive season with 40 or more victories. In his 20-year-old campaign, Feser scored 44 goals and 62 assists for 106 points along with a +20 rating while appearing in all 72 games for the Americans.

Feser lead the Americans in scoring by a wide margin this season, netting 40 more points than the team’s second-highest scorer, and placed him fourth among all WHL players in points.His 44 goals put him seventh among all WHL players while his 62 assists also placed him seventh in that category.In addition, Feser netted 13 power play goals and four shorthanded goals, and finished tied for second among WHL players with eight game-winning goals.The 5’9”, 190-lb forward displayed great consistency during the 2012-13 season, being held off the score sheet for two or more consecutive games just five times.Twice named the Denny’s WHL Player of the Week, Feser was also named the Husky WHL Player of the Month for February after collecting 24 points in just 11 games.

Feser has played five seasons in the WHL, all with the Americans, recording 155 goals and 198 assists for 353 points in 351 regular-season games. He has also proven to be the most durable player in WHL history, setting the WHL record for consecutive games played at 321.Feser was selected by the Americans in the ninth round, 194th overall, in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft.

The recipients of all WHL individual awards will be announced at the 2013 WHL Awards Luncheon, which will be held in Calgary, Alberta, on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Regina Pats Hockey Club announced today the
Early Bird Season Ticket deadline will be extended to Friday, April 26th.
Juno Week approaching means busy days ahead at the Brandt Centre as well as the
activity around the city, the Pats would like to give fans extra time to renew
or buy their season tickets. In addition to special Early Bird Prices,
fans purchasing their tickets by next Friday will be entered into draws for
prizes including Craven County Jamboree VIP packages.

“Juno Week is going to be a great and very busy time
in the City of Regina,” says Pats VP of Operations and Corporate Development Cliff
Mapes. “With all of the activity at the Brandt Centre with setup for
the event, and of course once everything gets going, we want to give our fans
the option to renew their tickets at a later date while still taking advantage
of all of our great Early Bird draws and pricing.”

The Pats Office will remain open (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Monday – Friday) through Juno Week, so fans who wish to renew/buy Season Tickets
may do so at the office or by calling 306-522-PATS.

Early Bird Ticket Draws
There will be five draws for Season Ticket Holders to receive a full refund for
their tickets, three draws for special Craven County Jamboree VIP packages, two
draws for autographed team jerseys, one draw for a complementary foursome entry
at the Regina Pats Wickenheiser Golf Classic and one draw for a party limo with
ten tickets to a Pats/Warriors game in Moose Jaw.

Spokane Chief Assistant Coach Jon Klemm will step down from his position citing the desire to be closer to his family. Klemm, who recently finished his fourth season on the bench as the Chiefs' assistant, will return to Dallas after getting married this summer. His four teenage children live in Chicago.

"I will get more opportunities to see my kids and see my son play hockey. I haven't seen him play in three years. This move gives me flexibility in the winter months," Klemm said.

In 2009, Klemm returned to the franchise that he captained to their first Memorial Cup Championship in 1991. Spokane went 175-91-14-8 in the four seasons with Klemm as an assistant. The former defenseman was named to the franchise's Top 25 Chiefs in 25 Years during Spokane's 25th anniversary season in 2009-10.

"It has been a pleasure to work with Jon, both as a player and now as a coach. He has been fantastic for our organization," Chiefs General Manager Tim Speltz said.

"We understand and respect his decision to move and be more available for his family," Speltz added.

"I'm sad to see Jon go," Chiefs Head Coach Don Nachbaur said.

"I want to personally thank him for all the hard work with our team. He made individuals better people and players and I'm going to miss him for that. He helped develop our kids on a daily basis," Nachbaur said.

After his junior career ended as a 20-year-old in '91, Klemm played 18 seasons of professional hockey totaling 773 games in the National Hockey League with Colorado, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. The Cranbrook, BC native won Stanley Cups with Colorado in 1996 and 2001.

"This was a great experience. When you're a player, and play as long as I did, to make the transition to coaching is an eye opener. As a player, you're at the rink a few hours a day and you don't realize the work that goes into it. I enjoyed my time here and learned a lot."

"It was a lot of fun to be a part of and see these kids grow, improve and get better. To be around the players and see them get to the next level was great."

Three Chiefs, defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Jared Cowen and center Tyler Johnson, are players who Klemm coached and have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.

"Personally, the playoff run a couple of years ago was a big moment. We got the best out of that group," Klemm recalled. Spokane won 48 games and finished second in the Conference standings before advancing to the Western Conference Finals in 2011.

"We just couldn't get over one little hill. That situation is what makes the game so great, the fine line between winning and losing. I thought we were successful; just fell a little bit short in the end."

Prairie Football Conference and The Regina
Thunder Football Club have announced their 2013 schedule.

The regular season opens up at home with
a rematch of 2012 PFC Semi Final where the Regina Thunder upset the undefeated
Calgary Colts in a last minute come from behind win to move onto the PFC Final.
The schedule also features home and home series against both the Saskatoon
Hilltops and Winnipeg Rifles with the Regina hosted games being played on
Saturday evenings. We expect large crowds for all three games.